NYAMIRA - A search for a missing elderly man in Manga, Nyamira County, concluded tragically on Wednesday, November 12, 2025, after his body was discovered buried in a shallow grave within his own compound. The man, identified as 67-year-old Meshack Mainye Miyaki, had been reported missing more than two weeks earlier, on Monday, October 27, 2025.

Family members, who had been leading the search, made the shocking finding after noticing a freshly disturbed patch of earth on the property. According to James Miyaki, the deceased's brother, their suspicions led them to begin digging, only to uncover a human hand buried approximately two feet deep. "We scratched the surface a little bit, and the arm came out; the grave was not very deep," a friend of the deceased told reporters on Thursday, November 13, 2025.

Detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) were called to the scene and subsequently exhumed the decomposing remains. The body is believed to be that of Mr. Miyaki, though formal identification is pending. The remains were transported to a local mortuary to undergo DNA testing and a post-mortem examination to officially determine the cause of death.

Investigation Underway, Family Alleges Police Laxity

The discovery has shifted the case from a missing person's report to a full-fledged homicide investigation. As of Thursday morning, East Africa Time, no arrests had been made in connection with the death. The circumstances surrounding Mr. Miyaki's disappearance and death remain the focus of the ongoing police inquiry.

The family of the deceased has voiced criticism of the initial police response to their missing person report. Relatives speaking to the media on Thursday, November 13, 2025, accused law enforcement of not handling the matter with the urgency it deserved from the time Mr. Miyaki was first reported missing on October 27. They believe that had swifter action been taken, the outcome might have been different. The National Police Service has not yet issued a formal statement responding to these allegations.

A Community in Shock

The incident has left the community in Manga stunned, with neighbours and friends expressing their disbelief and condemnation of the act. "He who killed Mainye and buried him did a very bad thing, and as Christians we condemn it," one local resident stated. The gruesome nature of the discovery—within the supposed sanctuary of his own home—has heightened anxiety and raised urgent questions about local security.

This case adds to a concerning pattern of violent deaths and mysterious disappearances in the wider Kisii and Nyamira region, which have unsettled residents in recent years. While unrelated to Mr. Miyaki's case, local authorities have previously investigated other incidents involving bodies found in unusual circumstances, contributing to a growing sense of public unease. The investigation into Mr. Miyaki's death continues, with the community and family anxiously awaiting answers and justice.